I beam at him and reach out to gently brush a strand of hair away from his forehead. His worry is lessening, replaced by desire instead."Should I ask Claire to retrieve all my work and transfer here?" I ask. “So I can work with you?”"Yes, please," he says, kissing the side of my neck, his arms still around my waist.Then his mouth goes to the top of my chest, all the while kissing. I place my hands on his shoulders as he continues to bury his face on my chest, then on my stomach."Oh, Serra..." he whispers as he goes down on me.And then he kneels before me. He takes a look on my face before he buries his face on my crotch, taking a long sniff through the fabric."Gideon…" I whisper. "It's still early.""I want you now, Serra," he whispers, pulling up my dress, his fingers grabbing my legs.I hold his chin and make him look at me. "Can we do his after dinner with the Queen? I don't want to look disheveled and flushing in front of her.""It's good, right? She'll know that we are busy
However, Gideon seems oblivious to my discomfort. He pulls my skirt down and places a kiss on my neck again. When he gazes at me again, he looks as if he is glowing with joy.“All well?” he asks, placing a kiss on my hair before sitting straight on the couch.I straighten my gown again and smooth it out. I also reach to my hair and try to fix it. I know I look like a mess. My cheeks might probably be flushed, and I look disheveled.“Enter!” Gideon bellows.And then, Caius, Prince of Liddicoat and my partner in my revenge against the man who was just between my legs earlier, enters the room. His white-gold eyes land on me and his eyes shine with amusement.“You called for me, King Gideon?” he asks, bowing a little to him.“I did,” he starts, moving closer to me. “You’ve been going around the castle, making passes on the servants. Is the Liddicoat royalty not afraid of siring bastards
The arena is a sea of colorful banners that represent different noble families. The sun is glinting off the weapons that are wielded by the skilled combatants, their sweat and determination evident on their faces. The crowds cheer and jeer as they watch the intense bouts, adrenaline pumping across the arena. I sit beside Gideon, his hands intertwined with mine. He moves closer to me and whispers, “Do you think that after this we can return to our rooms?” I smile at him. Lately, he has been insatiable. He is worse than I was when I drank Caius’ blood. If I don’t know better, I will say that he’s jealous of my need to visit Caius from time to time. It’s as if he is afraid that he will lose me again — as if the previous is not entirely his fault. “My king, we are in the middle of a competition,” I scold Gideon teasingly, yet I inch my leg closer to his. He smirks and leans in to me. “Yes, but it’s becoming hard to wait. I need you now.” I can’t help but giggle at his eagerness. “Ther
I groan as I stretch my sore muscles, a side effect from the intense lovemaking sessions with my husband, the Lycan king, Gideon. Right now, he is lying next to me, a satisfied smirk on his face.“Enjoying the aftermath?” he teases, trailing a finger down my arm.I roll my eyes and slap his hand playfully. “Shut up and let me recover.”He chuckles and pulls me into his arms. “You know I can help with that.”I laugh and kiss him on the lips. “How? Run me ragged again?”“It should be ‘ride you ragged’, but then again, you’re the one who had ridden me last night, or was it earlier morning?”I hit his chest as we laugh. “I wonder what they will say, since we missed the official announcement of the martial combat winners this morning.”“They will say that the Lycan King and his Luna are busy on some marital duties,” he responds, caressing
I open my eyes in a dimly lighted room. The thatched roof shows signs of wear and tear. There are wooden cardboard in between the gaps. I can smell blood, bandage, and that unmistakable tartness of alcohol and a wound that’s trying to heal. I scrunch my nose. Even my face is aching. I touch the bed and blanket that I am lying on. Rough, no silks and velvets. Even the pillow is so hard that I am sure I will have a stiff neck if I sleep too long. I prop myself up by my arm. All my muscles are sore and aching. Understandably, I have depleted my magic until it shaves off part of my lifespan. And all for what? For a Kingdom that refuses to accept me? For a husband who can’t love me and even had the gall to cheat on me? And to my in-laws who use me until I am of no use to them anymore! I feel my blood boil in anger. I am foolish and a fucked-up pushover! Finally, sitting up, I groan in pain. I doubt my body will still allow me to use my magic at its best. I doubt Sacrarium will still accep
*********** Three years after *********** I am wearing my blue robe with gold embroidery over it. I roll the sleeves back. My hair hangs loosely around my shoulders; it is shorter now since it’s harder to train with long hair. A thin golden chain hangs by my neck with a tiny crystal hanging on it. It was a celebratory gift from Caius as we started our plans. Caius promised that if all goes well, not just a Luna, but I will be the Lycan Queen of Dunkerson Kingdom. Truthfully, Caius said that we needed another year to prepare our plan, but I told him I would rather die trying, than live another day waiting for vengeance for the humiliation done to me! Besides, instead of one year, it has become three years already! And so, I roughly bite on the meat and swallow in anger. We are within the Dunkerson Kingdom. My vengeance is close! Suddenly, Caius chuckles beside me. I glare at him, but he only teases me. “You are eating like a peasant. Maybe that‘s the reason you were cheated on?” I
A couple of minutes pass before a voice calls out, “Next! Who’s next?!” “It is Hera of the Liddicoat Kingdom,” I answer. “You plan to become a citizen here?” A young man asks with suspicion in his eyes. “Tired of all the vampires there?” “Yes, and maybe,” I answer. “What kind of spell do you use?” “Mostly elemental spells. Potions.” “How about combat?” “Not much.” “What do you mean by ‘not much’? You’re not even carrying any magical weapons!” The guy rolls his eyes and takes notes down on his sheet of paper. “I will let you join, but are you really sure? It will be a crazy competition,” he warns. “You know how popular the Lycan king is. Most female mages want to be the new Luna.” I nod, perfectly knowing how popular Gideon is. He is so popular, in fact, that he will cheat on a wife who’s done nothing but love and serve him. “That’s why there is competition, right? To decide who deserves him.” The man behind the table snickers, “Well, that is, if he will ever be at home for t
I stand in the center of the arena, surrounded by dozens of other competitors. I close my eyes and reminisce about the feeling of standing in this exact spot four years ago. Back when I was gullible and oblivious to the world. However, now, I don’t feel the same jitters and excitement. No more sense of anticipation and trepidation. I open my eyes. On the banners, on the stage in front of us, are the written words ‘Luna Festival Competition’, the same contest that will decide who will be the next Luna for the Lycan King. Then the announcer’s voice booms out from the loudspeakers, which echoes across the arena. “Welcome, audience, judges, and competitors, to the Luna Festival! This year’s competition will be even more spectacular than four years ago! You will be tested in every aspect of your knowledge and skills, from the warrior’s arena to the alchemist’s laboratory. But before we begin, let us remember why we are having this contest: to earn the right to be the next Luna who will s